Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative

The Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI) develops the next generation of stewards of the Great Lakes ecosystem and helps schools and communities across Michigan grow stronger together. The GLSI was established and supported by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, with key support from the Wege Foundation and additional contributions from the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, the Fremont Area Community Foundation, the C.S. Mott Foundation, and the Frey Foundation.

The GLSI supports a proven method of place-based education in K-12 classrooms across the urban-rural spectrum. In these places, the local environment provides the context for education: students learn academic content while studying issues or problems of local importance. This approach builds students’ enthusiasm for learning and results in higher academic achievement.

The GLSI features three strategies: place-based education, sustained professional development for K-12 teachers, and school-community partnerships. Regional hubs, including Discovering PLACE, receive modest base funding grants through the GLSI, and seek additional support from other sources. The regional hubs provided leadership, expertise, support for classroom teachers, and material/financial resources for the collaborative, community-based stewardship work of K-12 schools and local organizations in their regions.